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Breaking the Mex Hex

By Keyvan Antonio Heydari May 27, 2010 6:00 amMay 27, 2010 6:00 am

Thomas Kienzle/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesMexico’s Javier Hernández battled against Dirk Kuyt of the Netherlands on Wednesday during a friendly match, won by the Dutch by 2-1, in Freiburg, Germany.

A group of players called the country’s golden generation has started to pay some dividends at the senior level for Mexico, which habitually qualifies for the World Cup but suffers an early exit.

Mexico lost to the Netherlands on Wednesday by 2-1 as it navigates a gauntlet of European matches to prepare for South Africa. On Sunday, it faces Gambia, and then Italy next Wednesday in Brussels as it prepares for the tournament opener against the hosts on June 11.

The news media continually repeats the mantra el quinto partido (reaching the quarterfinals). Privately, the players are speaking of unprecedented and historic achievements in South Africa.

Mexico’s emerging players, perhaps too young to have absorbed the disappointments of Mexico’s past World Cup campaigns, speak not merely of reaching the quarterfinal, what in Mexico is referred to as el quinto partido (the fifth match). The young players speak of breaking through the ceiling of getting dispatched in the Round of 16 (except for the two World Cups held on Mexican soil in 1970 and 1986) but also of surpassing the semifinals.

Deportivo La Coruña’s Andrés Guardado, perhaps the only Mexican who is a consistent starter in the elite European leagues, said that “our objective this year is to surprise the world and ourselves and go very far in the World Cup.”

In Germany in 2006, Mexico tested Argentina until an extra-time strike from Maxi Rodríguez won the match, 2-1. In 2002, a bitter defeat against the Americans eliminated El Tri. The 1998 and 1994 World Cups meant losses — again in the Round of 16 — to Germany and Bulgaria.

In South Africa, Mexico faces a tough group with the host country and the former world champions Uruguay and France.

“We’ve got to score,” said Antonio Carbajal, a goalie who played five in World Cups for El Tri, at a recent Mexico City get together of World Cup veterans. “It’s the same problem we had 50 years ago. We’ve heard it so many times when we get knocked out. Jugamos como nunca, pero perdimos como siempre — we played better than ever, but lost as usual.”

Mexico has organized a European tour with England, the Netherlands and Italy on the menu. Perhaps used to the enormous Estadio Azteca, El Tri’s players were not awed by Wembley in the 3-1 loss on Monday. England Coach Fabio Capello told TV Azteca that: “Mexico played better than us. They held the ball better.” The English tabloid The Sun headlined a photo of Capello with the headline, “It Mex me so Mad.”

“There is no such thing as an honorable defeat,” said Mexico Coach Javier Aguirre after the match at Wembley. “It really bothers me to lose. They had five chances and put in three. We had five and put in one.” Against the match against the Netherlands, Mexico faced the No. 4 team in the FIFA rankings. In the match against England, El Tri showed grit and character.

They are also trying to recapture — or build — a mystique as field warriors, rebranding a team disparagingly referred to as los ratones verdes (the green mice). Mexico is also implementing European training regimens and schedules and cultivating Oakland Raiders-style attitude, unveiling an alternative all-black uniform for La Tricolor.

Through the magic of digital technology, look-alike actors and editing, an American telecommunications giant (AT&T) is using El Tri’s players — in a campaign now in heavy rotation — along with Mexican-born icons such as actors and artists Cantinflas, Jorge Negrete, Maria Félix, Anthony Quinn, Ricardo Montalbán and Frida Kahlo; as well historic sports idols the late boxer Salvador Sánchez, known as a scrappy pugilist. Also featured is an Aztec chieftain, and linking the mythical figures with the current players.

Israel Castro, one of Mexico’s players featured, sees patriotic overtones in the ad campaign. “We’re representing all Mexicans,” he said. “We’re fighting for respect, for a starting spot, the same way our people here fight to work or a meal.”

Through his tactical versatility and combativeness, 22-year-old Efraín Juárez seems to have caught Aguirre’s fancy. The Pumas midfielder speaks some English, (as does Manchester United’s new signing Javier Hernández).

“To me a successful World Cup means winning it,” Juárez saod. “I don’t think it’s good to think only about making it to the quinto partido. It would mean limiting ourselves.”

If there is a change in mentality in Mexican soccer, the moment was winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru in 2005, the first world title won by a Mexican team. The usually ubiquitous Mexican TV networks belatedly sent crews to Peru late into the tournament. Mexico beat the favorite, Brazil, 3-0 in the final, and Arsenal’s Carlos Vela was the top scorer with five goals. From that team, Vela, Giovani dos Santos, Héctor Moreno and Juárez are on the current squad.

Many of these promising players finally coalesced at the senior level in winning the 2009 Concacaf Gold Cup, beating the U.S. soundly in the final.

Midfielder Castro added: “This generation is going to be talked about. Not just for what they did in their youth, but because of their talent. Everything is coming together.”

“Jonny Magallón, a defender for Chivas who scored against the Americans last year in Houston, added: “The rivalry with the U.S. is good for us to grow. Not to hurt each other, but to see who can do better in South Africa, and that has made Mexican, American, Honduran and Canadian teams grow, competing to see who is the best from the Concacaf region.”

Mexico’s national team is the cash cow of North American soccer, and Mexico’s TV, marketing and sponsorship rights feed Mexican and United States federation coffers (friendly matches pay a percentage to the home federation). A goodbye tour through New York, Chicago and Houston played before packed houses before traveling to Europe. Mexico tied Ecuador, 0-0, before 77,507 at the opening of the New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey on May 7.

Ramón Morales, a two-time World Cup veteran with El Tri, pointed said: “If you look at the games, Mexico has played well but. In Germany 2006, we played better than Argentina, but Argentina scored and won. Positive results change your mind-set. They fought and won that U-17 title. The World Cup is tougher, but the young players and even young Mexicans now have a different mentality. A good result would be to advance, whether we play well or not.”

Barcelona’s Rafael Márquez, twice bounced from the Cup in the Round of 16 with Mexico and the current captain of the team, said: “We have a conjunction of hungry young players with a desire for glory. We have people with experience with World Cups under our belts and have played in Europe and a coach with European and World Cup experience. All wanting to do something important and change that mind-set in Mexico.”

An earlier version of this post erroneously included Adrián Aldrete among the current players on the Mexico team.

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